Jurors find Robert Jarrett guilty on lesser charge

State's case in Jarrett murder trial hinged on human remains

Robert Jarrett declines to testify in his defense in the killing of his wife.

Jurors find Robert Jarrett guilty on lesser charge

State's case in Jarrett murder trial hinged on human remains

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Updated: 8:08 AM EDT Apr 24, 2013

ELLICOTT CITY, Md. —

Jurors in the Robert Jarrett Jr. murder trial found him guilty, but of a lesser charge.

Jarrett was charged with first-degree murder, but jurors didn't believe the killing was premeditated. They did believe he had an intent to kill and found him guilty of second-degree murder. They could also have chosen involuntary manslaughter.

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Jurors started deliberating the case Tuesday afternoon after defense attorneys said it didn't make any sense that he would kill his wife with the children at home.

Prosecutors called the January 1991 disappearance of 34-year-old Christine Jarrett "one of the biggest mysteries in Elkridge." They told jurors that the mystery was solved in April 2012 when her skeletal remains were found under a shed in the family's back yard.

In trying to prove their murder case against her former husband, they told jurors that he knew the answer for 21 years.

The defense said Jarrett maintains his innocence.

"No, he has never said anything to the contrary other than he's innocent. He told police exactly what he knew had happened, and he maintains his innocence despite what the jury comes out with in this case," defense attorney George Psoras said.

In closing arguments, Assistant State's Attorney Kim Oldham called Jarrett a cold-blooded killer, claiming he was unhappy in his marriage and "he wanted Christine out of his life for good."

Oldham's theory was that Jarrett asphyxiated his wife by choking her and that he buried her face in a hole under a shed in his yard and used concrete to conceal where her body was.

"Having 21 years go by prevented the medical examiner from being able to find out a lot about the cause of death, but we were still able to establish the case based on circumstantial evidence. We are respectful of the jury's verdict and are just appreciative that they held Mr. Jarrett responsible for the murder of Christine Jarrett," Oldham said.

In his closing argument, Psoras claimed prosecutors were asking jurors to make a leap of faith without evidence.

"Think about it. You find skeletal remains encased in some type of stone. Because of that, everybody's heart goes out to the family, including Mr. Jarrett's. You don't believe they have more than that? That's all they have, at best. The best case scenario is they have sympathy and skeletal remains," Psoras said.

Psoras described other possibilities, saying Christine Jarrett ran away, or she died accidentally or committed suicide.

But Assistant State's Attorney Jim Dietrich told jurors everything points to Robert Jarrett, arguing, "There was no case until that body was identified as Christine Jarrett. It's his wife under his shed at his house. You don't cover up an accident. You don't cover up a suicide with 600 pounds of concrete."

Sentencing is set for Aug. 8, at which time Robert Jarrett could get up to 30 years in prison.